Shabbat - Congregation Beth El

January 10, 2015
Congregation Beth El
El--Atereth Israel
Parshas Shemos
Stone Chumash
p 292
Haftarah
p 1146
Shema by
9:32 am
Mincha
4:10 pm
Seudah Shlishis
Shabbos ends:
5:16 pm
19 Teves 5775
Kehillah Konnections
Beth El Briefings
Mazel tov— to Annie & Dan Goldish on the birth of their first grandchild, a boy born in Jerusalem to Ellinoa and Shimmy
Goldish. May they raise him to Torah, chuppah, and maasim tovim.
Child Friendly Family Luncheon— will take place, for all who have registered, immediately after kiddush. There willl be
children’s entertainment by Silly Sally’s Entertainment & Events in the youth room. There will also be a program for the children led by our Shlichot, Roni and Idanit.
Thank you— to Tami Wald & Shari Lederman for organizing the child friendly family luncheon and for shopping and preparing the food for it. Thank you to Mayer Kahan and Dani Goldring for making cholent, and Israela Kahan & Sarabeth
Lefman for organizing the children’s entertainment. Thank you as well to Gina and Alex Spiegel for supporting the event
as sponsors and to Tami and Sam Wald as donors.
Father/Son Learning— This popular program for boys in grades 1- 8, co-sponsored by Congregation Beth El-Atereth Israel and Boston Kollel, will continue this Motzei Shabbat, January 10th from 6:30-7:30 pm.
Mother/Daughter Learning— this Sunday, January 11 at 10:30 a.m. will be the first session of the Mother/Daughter learning that will take place in our new renovated youth room. This program is co-sponsored by Beth El and the Kollel.
Sunday Morning Breakfast— will take place in the youth room this Sunday morning after the 8 a.m. minyan.
Thursday Morning Class— Rabbi Segal’s Thursday morning class will take place at 11:00 am in the library. The class will
cover various topics on the Parashat Hashavua.
Beit Midrash and Rabbi Segal’s Shiur— The Beit Midrash program for men, co-sponsored by Beth El and the Kollel, and
Rabbi Segal’s weekly Talmud shiur, will continue on Tuesday, January 13 at 8:00 pm & 8:45 pm respectively.
Bnei Akiva Snif— This Shabbat there will be a Bnei Akiva SNIF for grades 3-8 at 4:20 p.m. at Shaarei.
Teen Minyan (Including M&M Minyan)— will be held this Shabbat, January 10 at 9:30 a.m. in the chapel for anyone in
grades 6-12. The kiddush will include meat cholent. The Middle School Musaf Minyan will not be taking place this week.
M&M Minyan will be participating in the teen Minyan downstairs at 9:30 am. Youth Minyan for 3rd-5th graders will take
place in the first upstairs classroom. Thank you to Davey Schoenberg, Jonathan and Jordan Cohen, Sherri Cohen, Mayer
Kahan and Dani Goldring for organizing the Teen Minyan and Kiddush.
Bat Mitzvah Program— Congregation Beth El-Atereth Israel and Ma’ayan is co-sponsoring a bat mitzvah program which
will be led by our own Oranit Saadia. The next session of the program will take place on Sunday, January 11.
Professor Steven Katz— will deliver a talk on Shabbat January 17th (Please Note Date Change) after kiddush on
“Reflections of a Wandering Academic: Travels to Spain, Turkey, China, Iran and the Vatican, among other stops along the way”
Our own Steven Katz has given talks and been politically engaged under various auspices -- governmental, academic and
Jewish -- in many parts of the world. He will reflect on some of his experiences as a Jewish academic in these settings.
Adult Friendly Shabbat Family Luncheon On Shabbat January 17, 2015 we will be having an Adult Friendly Shabbat
Family Luncheon targeted toward individuals and families who are "empty nesters" and toward families whose youngest
child is in middle school or older. This luncheon will immediately follow the talk presented by Professor Steven Katz. Please
register online by January 11th at http://luncheon.bethelnewton.org
Shabbat Shira Shabbaton— On January 30th-31st we will be having the well known singer and entertainer Lipa as our
guest chazan for Shabbat Shira. See flier on the inside cover. Register at http://Shabbaton.bethelnewton.org
Israeli Wine Tasting On Saturday Evening, January 24, AIPAC and Congregation Beth El-Atereth Israel invite you to the
home of Jone and Allen Dalezman to taste unique wines from up and coming Israeli boutique wineries and will have a private briefing offered by Danielle Harsip, AIPAC’s Boston Area Director. It promises to be a wonderful evening and a fantastic opportunity to all get together and learn more about Policy Conference.
Mishloach Manot— we will be having Beth El’s Mishloach Manot program on Purim through which you can send Mishloach
Manot to fellow shul members. See flier on the back cover for more details or contact Tanya Fischer.
Minyanim — January 11-17
AM
Sunday
1/11
Monday
1/12
Tuesday
1/13
Wednesday
1/14
Thursday
1/15
Friday
1/16
Shabbos
1/17
7:00 am
8:00 am
6:30 am
6:40 am
6:40 am
6:30 am
6:40 am
7:45 am
9:00 am
Candle Lighting
4:19 pm
PM
4:25 pm
6:30 pm
Maariv only
6:30 pm
Maariv only
6:30 pm
Maariv only
6:30 pm
Maariv only
4:30 pm
Shema by:
9:32 am
4:15 pm
REGULAR CLASSES
Mishnah Brurah
Rabbi Segal
Sunday: 1/2 hour before Shacharit
(8:00 am)
Halacha Yomi
Rabbi Segal
Daily, after Shacharit and between
Mincha and Maariv
Gemorah
Mesechet Chullin
Rabbi Segal
Tuesday, 8:45pm
Parshat Hashvuah
Topics Related to Weekly Portion
Rabbi Segal
Thursday:
11:00 am
Mishnayot:
Seder Nezikin
Rabbi Asher
Shabbat morning
Leeder
8:30 am
Rabbi Leeder’s
home
Shabbat Morning Groups
Youth Groups
Toddlers-2nd grade
10:00am-end of Shul
• Toddlers—1st Lower Level
Classroom
• Pre K– K—2nd Lower Level
Classroom
• 1st-2nd Grades—3rd Lower
Level Classroom
Youth Minyan
3rd-5th Grades
10:15-11:00am
Chapel (in the basement)
M&M Minyan
6th-8th Grades
10:45 a.m.—11:15 a.m.
First Upstairs Classroom
Interested in sponsoring a Youth
Kiddush?
Contact Shari Lederman at:
[email protected]
Please remember to remove all
your trash from the Sanctuary!
If you have any life cycle events
that should be published in the
Kishrei, please inform the shul
office.
Office Hours
Monday-Thursday-9am-1pm
Friday: 9:30am-1:30pm
By Rabbi Avraham Fischer. A publication of the Orthodox Union in cooperation with the Seymour J. Abrams Orthodox Union Jerusalem World Center
Parshat Shemot
January 10, 2015
19 Tevet 5775
Pharaoh’s oppression of the Hebrews has
reached its lowest point:
And Pharaoh commanded his entire nation, saying, “Every son that will be born
shall you cast into the Canal [Nile], but
every daughter shall you keep
alive” (Shemot 1:22).
18:2), light and flexible, so it is suitable
for both calm and swift waters. Smearing
the mud on the inside and the pitch on the
outside makes the TEIVAH watertight, and
spares the baby from the offensive smell
of the pitch (Sotah l.c.). The gomeh very
closely resembles the reed-grass (some
say they are the same plant), so it provides excellent camouflage (Rashbam).
For a fuller answer, let us compare
Moshe’s TEIVAH with the only other
TEIVAH in Tanach, namely, that of Noach,
which Hashem commanded at the time of
the Flood:
Make for yourself an ark of (TEIVAT) gofer-wood; rooms shall you make for the
ark; and you shall cover it from within and
from without with tar (Bereishit 6:14).
Why does Yocheved put the little baby in
There are obvious differences between
the TEIVAH, and the TEIVAH in the Nile?
the two TEIVOT: the materials from which
Has she utterly despaired of protecting
Pharaoh’s astrologers have divined that
her child, and wants only to keep herself they are made; the dimensions; and the
the Hebrews’ savior has been born, and
number of occupants. Furthermore,
from seeing him taken from her, as Ibnthat his downfall would come via water.
Yocheved does not make her TEIVAH, but
However, it is unclear to them whether this Ezra suggests? If so, how is she any differ- rather took one she already had, while
ent from the dissolute Hagar, who abansavior is a Hebrew or an Egyptian, so
Noach constructed made his at Hashem’s
Pharaoh’s decree even applies to his own doned the ailing Yishmael under a bush so command. Also, Moshe’s TEIVAH is kept
she would “not see the lad’s
countrymen (Rashi, based on Sotah 12a,
stationary by the reed-grass, and is indeath” (Bereishit 21:15-16)?
Shemot Rabbah 1:18, Sanhedrin 101b).
tended for concealment, while Noach’s is
held, or stopped, by Mount Ararat, and is
Or, did her daughter Miriam – who is a
The Hebrews’ savior is indeed born:
prophetess (Shemot 15:20) – instruct her exposed.
And there went a man of the house of
Levi, and he took the daughter of Levi [in that this is the way to save the baby, as
What is more significant, however, is the
marriage]. And the woman conceived and Ibn-Ezra also suggests? If so, why did
Yocheved not join her daughter in watch- similarity of the two TEIVOT:
bore a son (2:1-2) .
As sea vessels, they are moved entirely
The woman is Yocheved, wife of Amram, ing to find out the outcome of their efforts?
by wind and waves; they have neither
and the child is Moshe (6:20). Ever on the
rudder nor sails, and neither sailors nor
lookout for newborn Hebrews, the EgypIs
Yocheved,
perhaps,
merely
removing
oars. They are therefore completely relitians had known Yocheved was pregnant.
ant upon Hashem’s benevolence.
Therefore, the baby is born three months the baby from discovery at home, using
the
reed-grass
as
an
interim
hiding
place,
premature, but he is healthy:
Both are meant to protect and save those
unseen by those on the shore, like the
And she saw him that he was good,
within from the dangers, corruption and
— so she can hide him until the Egyptians maidens of Pharaoh’s daughter (Bechor
Divine decrees of destruction that rage
Shor, Chizkuni)? But then, how can the
will begin looking for him —
baby remain undetected if he cries? And outside.
and she hid him for three months (2:2) .
Then she must take more drastic measures: doesn’t Yocheved know that people bath- Salvation comes through natural means:
ing in the water might see the TEIVAH, as both Yocheved and Noach act without
And when she could no longer hide him,
eventually happens?
Seeing all male babies, Egyptian and
she took for him an ark of (TEIVAT)
Hebrew, thrown into the Nile, and knowgomeh, and smeared [it] with mud and
Perhaps
Yocheved
desperately
hopes
that
ing the Egyptians’ reliance upon magic
with pitch, and put the boy in it, and put
there
are
still
some
compassionate
Egypand astrology, Yocheved concludes (or
[it] in the reed-grass on the shore of the
tians
who
will
care
for
the
foundling,
as
perhaps hears from the officers) that the
Canal [Nile] (2:3).
suggested by Abravanel. [It is thus ironic – Hebrews’ savior is the target of the deA TEIVAH is a rectangular box with a flat and heartening – that that compassion is cree. Her son, born in the midst of all this,
found in Pharaoh’s own household!] But,
may have been born to be that savior.
bottom that can rest on the ground.
we
are
surprised
that
the
saintly
She looks for a way to thwart Pharaoh’s
GOMEH is the Egyptian plant called paYocheved
does
not
pray
that
one
such
designs.
pyrus. It grows in marshy areas (Iyov
person
steps
forward.
Sforno says that Yocheved
8:11), and it is buoyant (Yesha’yahu
Rabbi:
Gershon Segal
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‫קהלת בית א־ל עטרת ישראל‬
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“chose the place of the reed-grass in order recalled forthwith, and the stage is set for
Moshe to lead the surviving nation out of
to transform the decree of casting him into
the Canal into placing him in the reed-grass servitude.
on the shore of the Canal [Nile].”
Yocheved intended her child to become a
As a result, Pharaoh’s astrologers misinterlatter-day Noach, and Hashem fulfills a
pret the stars as saying that their prognostimother’s wish.
cations have been fulfilled (Shemot Rabbah
1:25, 29; Sotah 12b). Pharaoh’s decree is